Summoning Former President Before Bribery Commission: Rumpus in the Parliament & Sparks Protest

A petition, against the summoning of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa by the Bribery Commission was handed over to President Maithripala Sirisena in Parliament this afternoon. The petition was signed by more than 100 parliamentarians belonging to United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) and nearly 60 of those Parliamentarians were inside the Parliament as mark of protest while this news item was posted.

At a press briefing chaired by MPs Wimal Weerawansa, Dulas Alahapperuma and Bandula Gunawardena at the Parliament Complex, stated that the letter conveyed that they were of the opinion that the Bribery Commission had overstepped its mandate by summoning former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Earlier in the day, it was reported that Bribery Commission have summoned the former President Mahinda Rajapaksa on April 24.

According to available reports, former President was asked to report to the Bribery Commission for the the BC to record a statement over the fraudulent document produced by former Health Minister Tissa Attanayake in an attempt to sling mud at President Maithripala Sirisena and Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe in the run-up to the presidential election.

He is also to be questioned about a fresh ministerial post granted to Mr. Attanayake no sooner he joined the previous government after quitting the UNP of which he was the General Secretary.

It is also learnt that the former President Mahinda Rajapaksa is unlikely to report to the Bribery Commission (BC) though it had summoned him to do so on April 24, his spokesman Rohan Weliwita said today.

However, he said Mr. Rajapaksa was awaiting a proper response from the Bribery Commission because he is unaware as to why he had been summoned and the name or names of those who filed the complaint against him.

“The Commission should inform him of all the details with regard to the allegations because the former president is only aware that he has been asked to report to the Commission to record a statement,” Mr. Weliwita said.

He said Mr. Rajapaksa’s lawyers would check what the allegations were and the name or names of who had complained to the commission.

Mr. Weliwita said the former president had decided not to report to the Bribery Commission if it failed to provide the details of the complaint before April 24.

In the meantime Director General (DG) of the Bribery Commission Ms. Dilrukshi Dias Wickramasinghe has been asked to be present at the Parliament by the Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa. The DG was summoned in the wake of protests displayed by about 60 members of the opposition in Parliament earlier in the day on 20th April.

The opposition members protested over former President Mahinda Rajapaksa being summoned to the Bribery Commission, claiming that it was an illegal move instituted to further a prevailing witch-hunt against the former President.

Asian Tribune also learnt that UNP sources told that it was illegal for the former President to appoint a person as Minister after the election has been announced. The same sources also said that no action against the former President was able to be taken, while he remained as President, even though he was also a candidate in the Presidential election.

The source further said that it was illegal for the former President to appoint a person as Minister after the election for a new President was announced and therefore, legal action against him has been instituted at the first available opportunity.

The ruling UNP sources also said, in case former President was of the view that he was covered by the presidential immunity even for the wrongs he committed after the announcement of the president election, then he can well and good come forward to challenge move to summon him before the Bribery Commission at the appropriate court of law.